Call for law change for transgender kids

The mental health of transgender children is being adversely affected by Australian laws, says a leading paediatrician.

Adolescents under 18 can't get cross-hormone treatment unless they have Family Court approval.

"That's a legal situation that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world," Dr Michelle Telfer told AAP after addressing the Royal Australasian College of Physicians conference in Cairns.

The Family Court process is very expensive, time consuming and stressful, said Dr Telfer, who heads the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne Gender Dysphoria Service.

"The vast majority of adolescents who we see, instead of starting cross-hormone treatment when it would be in their best interests from a medical and psychological point of view, are actually delaying it until they turn 18," she said.

"This has serious implications for their mental health including an increased risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide."

As occurred in other countries, the decision when to start should be left up to doctors in combination with the young person and their parents, she said.

She noted Family Court judges relied on evidence from doctors to make their decisions.

Dr Telfer told the conference of the need for the medical profession generally to be educated on gender dysphoria, previously known as gender identity disorder.

While the numbers of transgender people are not increasing, many now felt more comfortable about seeking treatment as society became more tolerant.

This also followed the increase in transgender celebrities speaking out about their lives.

"When you have people such as Bruce Jenner coming forward, more media attention means the longer the waiting list for our gender service gets," she said.

The US Olympian champion, who has confirmed rumours that he is transitioning from male to female, featured on the reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.